Little Free Library in Milpitas aims to promote literacy at a grassroots level

Linda and Sean Brennan, of 803 Russell Lane, decided three months ago to join 15,000 locations around the world by installing a Little Free Library in front of their house for the community to enjoy.
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Photo by Aliyah Mohammed
)

Families and residents on Russell Lane have noticed something different on their street in the last three weeks -- a bird-house like library on the edge of a home's driveway.

Linda and Sean Brennan, of 803 Russell Lane, decided three months ago to join 15,000 homes all over the Bay Area and the world by installing a Little Free Library in front of their house for the community to enjoy.

In its most basic form, a Little Free Library is a box full of books (that can be of a certain theme) where anyone can stop by and pick up a book or two for however long they like, and can bring back another book to share.

The first Little Free Library -- a "take a book, return a book" gathering place for neighbors to share their favorite books --was started in Hudson, Wis. in 2009 by social entrepreneur Todd Bol, in memory of his mother who loved to read. It has spread to 15,000 places in 62 countries, with more being built every week to promote literacy and a love of reading at the community level.

The Little Free Libraries are credited with allowing the children and neighbors to socialize more than they would otherwise, value the free-wheeling exchange of books and overall are a positive influence on community quality of life and social capital.

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Linda Brennan, who has been a resident of Milpitas for more than 20 years, said she first saw Little Free Libraries in other parts of the South Bay and Peninsula, especially in more affluent areas like Palo Alto, a year and a half ago.

"So I was thinking that it would be a really nice thing to do for the community, to put the free library in our community. That way adults and children alike can take books out," she said. "It encourages reading at all ages, and there is no specific log you sign, you take a book and return something else. It encourages a wide variety."

Jason Clayton, 5, of Nasreenís Childcare and Learning Center on Russell Lane, opens the Little Free Library in Milpitas to pick a book to read on Tuesday.
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Photo by Aliyah Mohammed
)

The Brennans' library is a single-story structure with about 15 books for all levels of readers in it, although they have seen other libraries that are two to three stories, with adult books on the top and children's books at eye-level.

Purchasing the house from Little Free Library and painting and planting it in the front yard was a joint effort between Sean and Linda Brennan, but the libraries can also be built and modeled in any fashion.

Since the Little Free Library went up, Linda Brennan says the response has been amazing.

"Neighbors are knocking on the door and asking about the library ... people have been coming and taking books out and putting other ones in...my husband did look out on the first day and saw kids sitting on the cement seating area on our driveway reading books from the library," she said.

"I think we put about 15 books, children's books, some light adult reading and a couple of travel books, initially, and it evolved, a lot of the children's books were borrowed during the first week, so I restocked it with more children's books and then adults started visiting and actively trading and adding to the collection. Now I think its 50/50 adult and children content."

Linda Brennan said that a lot of the children in the surrounding neighborhood had come and checked out the library, with about 30 people coming in the first few weeks. In addition the books, Linda placed a geocache inside the library, which is essentially a treasure that can only be found through global positioning service satellites found on smart phones, a trending activity.

She said that she has friends who after seeing her Little Free Library have been inspired to put up their own.

"I would love to see more here, there are so many in Palo Alto and other communities...in Milpitas you can do a lot to improve literacy and improve the community. The more little libraries you have, the more exciting it is for the kids."

Anybody can build a bookshelf or purchase one from the Little Free Library, a nonprofit, as the Brennans did. Those who want to have to register with Little Free Library to get authorized and be placed on the Little Free Library Map of the World. The book shelter can cost anywhere between $15 to $150 to build and $30 to install, in addition to a $35 registration fee to become a member of the network.